Al Ain: The Al Ain club and Ajman football player Salim Johar said that it was a sad moment for him to announce retirement.

"I take this opportunity to thank the shaikhs for their great support to me, also to the UAE and Arab footballers who came to take part in my testimonial," he said.

"It's really a sad moment to say goodbye to football, the game I have loved from when I was six years old," Johar said at the end of the match between Al Ain and Ajman, the two clubs he played for in his 20-year career.

Johar, who was born in 1971, had a successful stint with Al Ain from 1991 until 2005. Before that he helped his first club Ajman to win promotion to the First Division in 1990.

Johar won 14 titles with Al Ain - six UAE league titles, three President cups, two super cups, the FA cup, the GCC clubs championship in 2001 and the Asian clubs champions league in 2003.

He retired in 2005, but returned in 2007 with his first club Ajman when he was asked to do so to help them win promotion to the professional league. Johar contributed to the club ,winning promotion last season.

He stopped playing after their last league match last season.

The Johar testimonial match, which was held at Ajman stadium last Friday, was attended by Shaikh Ammar Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman, Shaikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Abu Dhabi Sports Council President and the Al Ain Honorary Council Vice President and other shaikhs and officials from the FA and UAE clubs.

The Arab stars team beat the UAE world cup 1990 team in the first match 5-4. The Arab stars included players from Morocco, Egypt, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman, while the UAE team was led by the legend Adnan Al Taliyani, who scored one goal.

Johar scored his last goal for Ajman against Al Ain. He played 20 minutes of the first half wearing the Al Ain jersey and the remaining 25 minutes with Ajman colours during which he scored the first goal for Ajman.

The referee gave him a yellow card after Johar took off his shirt to celebrate scoring his last goal.

The Real Madrid player Michel Salgado attended the testimonial, but didn't play.